During World War II the allies had an extensive ariel bombing campaign against Germany and Japan. They had to bring those nations’ war machines to halt by destroying their capability to manufacture weapons. The success of those campaigns was not as grand as hoped, although it did have a negative effect on their war fighting by reducing the industrial output and forcing them to use more assets in defending their airspace instead of using them on the fronts.

There was also one tragic side effect to the bombing campaigns. It resulted in the innocent suffering with the guilty. Both Germany and Japan had committed great atrocities and evil in their wars, Germany especially. Unfortunately, the fight to end these evil regimes caused children, the elderly, and those who had opposed their governments actions to be killed and suffer along with those who supported their governments and participated in the evil. I’m afraid the time has come again where the innocent must suffer with the guilty.

I’m seeing a great evil in the “Prosperity Gospel” (which is no Gospel at all). Leaders such as Joel Osteen, Joyce Myer, Kenneth Copland, and host of others are more interested in fleecing their flock than in building the Lord’s kingdom. There are stories of hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash hidden in their church buildings, and how they claim their parishioners have to “seed money” for a miracle. And what they mean is that the desperate must bankrupt themselves by giving these charlatans their money.

Even those who are not practicing this heresy have some shady actions. There have been news articles about the pastors of mega churches living in mansions for free because the homes are technically church property and therefore, tax free. Many of these same “pastors” drive a Rolls Royce and fly in private jets again all free since these things are technically owned by their churches.

It appears that the only way to shutdown these wolves in sheep’s clothing is to have the government end the tax exemption for all religions and no longer allow tax deductions for donations. I know many will raise concerns about the benevolence programs that different denominations run, such as soup kitchens, hospitals, orphanages, etc. But those could be set up as separate entities with their own board of directors, and then they are able to keep their current tax breaks. It just means that parishioners will have to donate directly to these programs instead of through their churches. This will also cause a lot of smaller congregations to shutter their buildings. But this could be a blessing in the end, because it will force them to combine with other congregations or to return to the house church structure.

As a Christian I hate to say this but I don’t see any other way to stop these con artists claiming to speak for God. If only the worst are targeted, then they will fight it in the courts with a lot of nuisance lawsuits just as Scientology did and in the end the IRS give up and declare them a viable religion. No, I’m afraid all houses of worship must be taxed to end this plague of sham faith. The innocent will have to suffer with the guilty.

#TaxReligion, #TheInnocentSuffer